Luke 1:5-25 – A Man God Could Use – Bible study

Luke 1:5-25 A Man God Could Use Christmas is past but lets look at a prequel to Christmas this evening. Lets consider the man, Zacharias. Zacharias is part of the Christmas story but he and Elizabeth, his wife, do not get very much of the recognition. Likely the reason for that is that they were no Jesus parents but Johns and most of their story happens a year before Jesus was born. Yet, Zacharias is a godly man and it would, I think, do us some good to think on him tonight. I. Zacharias was a godly man. A. You do not find many like the description the Bible gives of this man and his wife. Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 1. righteous – right with God. 2. walking in ALL the commandments. He was a priest and so he had a lot of commandments to walk in! 3. blameless – Having no fault according to the law. B. Is it any wonder that God selected this couple to bear the forerunner of Jesus? C. God-like people attract Gods attention. 1. Some examples: a. A righteous man James 5:6 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. b. Gen 6:6-7 says that Noah was a "just man and perfect in his generations" and he "found grace in the eyes of the Lord. c. Hezekiah was a godly king who had a sickness to death, but he turned his face to the wall and prayed. Before Isaiah got out of the palace, God added 15 years to Hezekiahs life. d. Job 1:1 says that Job was a "perfect and upright" man, "one that feared God and eschewed evil." God was so certain of Job that He held him before Satan as an example of faithfulness. 2. God notices righteous people! They are like a flare burning in the night sky. a. The first record of a flare date back to the 13th century (1200s). b. Flares are not considered weapons but signals or beacons. They fire upward into the sky and some are built to burn for 10 to 60 minutes. c. Zacharias and Elizabeth were godly beacons that burned for 10 to 60 years and God saw them! II. Zacharias was a needy man. A. I see his need in two ways: 1. \#7\ They were childless. a. Most every couple wants to have children. For most, that is a longing, a need that needs to be fixed. b. For Jews, there was not just the emotional and marriage need. (1) There was also the religious need. (2) Jews wanted to be bring forth the Messiah. c. I suspect it was a longing in their heart similar to Christians who long for revival. 2. \#7\ They were older. "well stricken in years" a. I know being older is a way of life but it also produces its own set of needs. b. That reminds me of the story of two boys talking after the December Sunday school lesson on this couple. One boy asked the other how old he thought they were. The second boy replied, "Must have been real old. Maybe 35 or 40 years old!" c. We do not know the couples age but the boys might not have been too far off! (1) The average life expectancy in 1907 was 45.6 years. http://johnhawks.net/weblog/reviews/life_history/age-specific- mortality-lifespan-bad-science-2009.html (2) It is not that everyone died that early but so many did die as infants and youths that the overall average was very low. 3. In truth, since Zacharias was still serving the Lord in the office of a priest, he could not have been 50 years old or older. Numbers 8:25 And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more: B. The point in my bringing up their age is to say that at the time in life when most peoples ministry would be winding down, this couples ministry was just getting started. C. God was about to meet their needs and commission them into a whole new field of service. III. Zacharias was a man with a purpose. A. That is what this account is all about, Zacharias new purpose. 1. His wife would conceive and bear a son. 2. What was Zacharias new service? He was to be a father. B. Zacharias had been a husband, a priest, and no doubt, many other things in his LONG life. 1. But when it came time for him to be a father, God sent an angel to prepare him. 2. Why? Because being a father is more important than being a husband or a priest. C. There is far more to being a father than conceiving. 1. The most important job a manif he is a fatheris being a godly father. 2. Why? a. Because the soul of the children are at stake. b. Because the souls of those your child comes into contact with are at stake. c. That makes the future at stake. Ps 127:4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. IV. Zacharias was a doubtful man. Luke 1:18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years. 19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. 20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season. A. Although a godly man, Zacharias had flaws. 1. Any man that God might be looking for would! 2. We know that Zacharias doubted because the angel said so. B. In truth, compared to the way some of the other saints responded when told something was going to happen, Zacharias response seems somewhat tame. 1. \#Ge 17:17\ Abram laughed. 2. \#Ge 18:12\ Sarah too. 3. \#Judges 6:37\ Gideon asked for a sign. 4. Thomas refused to believe until he saw Jesus scars. 5. \#Luke 1:34\ Even Mary asked "How?" C. But Gabriel (and thus God) seemed to take offense at Zacharias doubt. Why? 1. Maybe because doubting was Zacharias nature. 2. Maybe because he WAS seeing an angel that should have been enough. 3. Maybe because he was old enough to know better. 4. Maybe it was just part of the plan of God all along. V. But Zacharias doubt made him a silent man. A. For the next nine months, Zacharias would not speak. 1. Sadly, he had something important that needed to be said but he could not. 2. We find out at the end of the chapter that the family eventually gives him a writing tablet to write on, but you could not communicate quickly and easily that way. 3. We might learn an important lesson concerning doubt here. B. Doubt always costs you something. 1. It cost Zacharias his speech. 2. It cost Peter a day of peace and joy. 3. It cost Job whatever time duration the book of Job lasted. 4. And that is how we leave Zacharias for 9 months. C. Zacharias demonstrates to us that no matter what phase you are at in your spiritual life, God looks for people can can improve! D. His story picks back up again in \#Luke 1:57\. VI. \#Luke 1:59-64\ Zacharias became a believing man. Luke 1:59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. 61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. 62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name is John. And they marvelled all. 64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. A. Everyone wanted to call the new baby by a family name. 1. Zacharias had learned his lesson. 2. No way will I doubt God again. His name is John! \#Luke 1:13\ B. John means "Jehovah is gracious." 1. The implication by God naming this child was that God was about to start working in Israel again. 2. It had been 400 years! VIII. \#Luke 1:67-79\ Zacharias was a praising man. A. Zacharias extemporaneously spoke a psalm of praise. B. \#Luke 1:68-72\ He spoke of Gods goodness. 1. \#68\ He had redeemed them. (past tense) 2. \#70\ He had delivered them. (past tense) 3. \#72\ He had given them mercy. C. \#76\ He spoke of what God had done. 1. The Messiah was herenot his son but Marys. 2. And the forerunner had comenot Marys Son but his. D. \#77-79\ He spoke of what the two would do. 1. \#77\ John would give knowledge. 2. \#79\ Jesus would give light.